Flaws
by why 'cuz I said so
Summary: you'll laugh, you'll cry... ok, maybe not so much -Chapter 7 added 1-16-2005
1. Dylan's Flaw comic

Disclaimer: I acknowledge that I don't own the television show Andromeda. Not the concepts, sets, story lines, or even the characters I am herein manipulating. Really, I'm sane and that's the story I'm sticking with until a professional psychologist shows up with the DSM-IV to prove otherwise. Oh, and I'm definitely not making any money off this, 'tho if someone wants to offer me a job… :)

A/N: Ok, this is the first time anyone has ever seen any of my fiction, original or fanfic, so I'm a little nervous. (insert nervous giggle here) Setup: Umm, these are all dialog driven so almost no scene set-up and no action. Each "chapter" is really an independent scene. Sorry if the characters seem off, I've seen the entire 1st season (DVD) and about 1/2 the 4th but only read 's ep summaries for the rest. Most of these could be set at any point in the series, with a few exceptions. No Nietzscheans or Rev Bem 'cuz I was originally trying to make all these fit into a single season, but I never picked one so that didn't happen.. In each I tried to pick a small understated quality about a character and exaggerate it to see what would happen to them. This is getting really long, so I'll shut up now, but if you want to know more background feel free to email me, I can talk about myself and my mental processes forever.

**Dylan's Flaw (comic)**

"I wish Dylan would be more careful about where he puts his balls! First in Hydroponics, then in Hanger 5, and yesterday I had to deal with them in the corridors all day. Why should I have to be the one to deal with them! I should have let the crew sell them during Dylan's garage sale."

Holo-Andromeda appeared beside her avatar on the Obs deck. "I wish you wouldn't talk out loud like that. It makes me feel like I am talking to myself."

"Andromeda, we talk to ourself all the time, it is a part of our ... Oh, I see. Harper has been making more unauthorized adjustments to my main AI again. You were making a joke. Trying to make a joke. I suppose I should be happy that you didn't try to hit on me, given that it's Harper trying to program a sense of humor. Well at least Harper doesn't leave his balls all over!" Rommie's irritation was not to be diverted by poor attempts at humor or potential new targets, as she continued to search for Dylan's balls throughout the room. Holo-Andromeda merely crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow as she watched her avatar. "Here's a basketball, though there isn't even a hoop in here, a soccer ball, a baseball, 2 rubber balls, a football, a ping pong ball, and a golf ball. What was he doing with a golf ball... no never mind I don't want to know. What I do want to know is how there came to be 8 balls in a room when there aren't even 8 people in the crew. And why am I the one cleaning up in here?"

Rommie's hologram self choose to answer the question as if the avatar had really needed a response. "The Nerring Empress and her staff were much taken with Captain Hunt's tales of human athletic pursuits and requested a demonstration on board the ship. They completed the demonstration several hours ago and Captain Hunt and the Empress have been in private consultation ever since. She is a powerful woman in this sector of the galaxy and could be an important ally." Andromeda paused a fraction of a second before continuing. "And speaking of the Nerring Empress and Dylan's"

"Andromeda do NOT finish that sentence. I am going to **kill** him for his humor 'improvements'! HARPER!!"


	2. Dylan's Flaw tragic

**Dylan's Flaw (tragic)**

"Beka do it! Do it now!"

"Normally Dylan I would trust your plan, but this time you've gone beyond crazy. You have to stop this now before..."

Dylan pounded his fist on the console in fury as he cut Beka off. "I've had enough of your arguments Beka, this is the last time! You are officially relieved of duty. I'll do this myself."

A thin stream of energy passed from the Andromeda to a large ship in a dangerously low orbit around the planet. A smile began on the captain's face, but before it fully appeared a huge flash of light engulfed the other ship and it plummeted rapidly towards the planet's surface.

Hours later Rommie tried to stem her Captain's raging guilt. "Dylan, you couldn't have guessed that the energy stream would have that effect. It should have worked to recharge their engine core and saved them from crashing into the planet. And the Caridians would have been very impressed and thankful and you would have had another signature for your charter."

"That's just it Rommie. That's exactly why I did what I did. I wanted to impress the Caridians and get them to sign my charter more than I wanted to help all those people in that transport ship. Harper tried to tell me that ship engine design had changed too much in the last 300 years for my idea to work. And Beka tried to get me to see that I was being unreasonable and dismissing Harper too quickly. Even Trance implied that it wouldn't produce the best possible outcome. I ignored everyone. And since when did it become **my** charter? How can I claim to be working for the good of the Commonwealth when I make unilateral decisions and claim all the successes for myself? In the space of a few hours I have managed to strip the best first officer I have ever had of her position, insult and alienate the only engineer capable of caring for you, get a tourist ship carrying over 100 people from a dozen worlds destroyed, and ensured that the Caridians will never join the Commonwealth. They are so angry with me that they have not only cut off all diplomatic ties with the Commonwealth they have also banned this ship from all their territories on pain of instant destruction. All because I needed to add another world to my commonwealth." Dylan had been pacing and gesturing the whole time but finally sat down, almost collapsing.

Rommie knew that this could fester in Dylan's mind if she didn't help him work through it quickly. "Captain. Dylan, even Harper didn't know the ship would blow up, he just said it wouldn't restart the engines. He'll get over it quickly, he loves fixing me too much to stay mad for long. And Beka never even took your relieving her of duty seriously. Normally that would be a bad thing, but as you want to take it back anyway, it's all for the best. And the others are all worried more about how this affects our goals than about your command. Dylan, **our** goals, **our** hopes. The crew has faith in you Dylan, you just have to have faith in yourself. You are a good captain and we can recover from this. We will restore the Commonwealth."

Rommie fully expected this little speech to have the intended effect of cheering her captain up. She had addressed all his concerns and pointed out his duty; to continue to work for the Commonwealth. But she could tell it had had no effect on Dylan at all. Instead of getting back to work as he usually did after setbacks he stayed seated, still. He hung his head a little, no longer meeting Rommie's eyes.

"But Rommie I never even came up with a plan B. I always have a plan B, but I never even considered one this time."

Rommie had no answer for that.


	3. Harper's Flaw comic

**Harper's Flaw (comic)**

"I'm telling you the boy is not right, and I think it has to do with the ridiculous amount of product he puts in his hair!"

Trance giggled at Dylan's most recent pronouncement on Harper's mental state and the possible reason for some of his recent less-than-brilliant engineering attempts. "Dylan, don't be angry with Harper, he promises to have your jacuzzi-whirlpool-bathtub thing fixed in the next couple of hours. He thought you would like the bubblebath. He didn't know that once the bubbles started they would fill you entire quarters and make the place smell like a Nightsider sidewalk walker."

Dylan glanced sideways at Trance trying to determine if Trance's innocent smile was genuine or if she was just playing with his mind. He never could tell. "Nightsider streetwalker Trance. Streetwalker. And don't ask me what the difference is right now. You can have Harper explain it to you after he finishes fixing my, ahh, cleansing system. I swear I am going to cut off his beauty supply allowance!!"

It was Beka's turn to chuckle as she entered the room just in time to hear the last sentence. "Aw, come on Dylan we can't all be as naturally beautiful as you. I assume you are talking about our little engineer? First of all, he has a beauty supply allowance?!? And why are you going to cut it off?"

"Dylan thinks Harper's hair gel is to blame for his bubblebath idea," explained Trance, still smiling.

Beka broke down in laughter, as close to a giggle fit as Beka Valentine was ever going to come. Dylan continued venting his frustration, "People I'm telling you it is just not natural to have 3 inches worth of hair sticking straight up! It defies the laws of physics!" More laughter from both women spurred Dylan on. "It's not right. The excess is seeping into his brain. And why does he do it anyway? Its it some sort of defensive tactic? Is it to make himself taller? He can't believe it makes him more attractive to women can he? Because his recent track record would seem to be pretty good evidence to the contrary...unless he can't see that because of the brain damage from the hair gel overdose!"

Beka was very nearly rolling on the floor now, but Trance was frowning at Dylan. "I like Harper's hair. I think the spikes are cute." Dylan looked at Trance in shock, stunned into silence.

Rommie chose this moment to enter the room, though she had been following the entire conversation in holographic form. "Dylan I don't know why you look so surprised, look Trance's hair, is it really all that shocking that she would like spiky hair? But I do have important information about Harper and his hair gel."

As Dylan was still too stunned to speak, Beka pulled herself together to ask what Rommie meant. "So Rommie, what is it? Has our engineer finally overdosed on the stuff? He hasn't run out has he? Because Trance and I have seen Harper when he running low and a Harper worried about his hair is not a pretty sight."

"No, he is not running low. Quite the opposite actually, he spent almost his entire cache of thrones on 12 cases of hair gel at that last drift. Which he is probably regretting right now. I came to tell you that Harper slipped in Dylan's tub while trying to fix the bubble bath problem." Rommie pre-empted questions about Harper's well-being quickly. "He's fine, at least medically speaking. Unfortunately he had a Sparky Cola in his hand when he and his hair fell into a large puddle of the bubble bath. The combination of hair gel, Sparky Cola, and bubble bath produced a powerful chemical reaction that had unfortunate consequences for Harper's hair." Feeling a little evil, she paused a moment for dramatic effect. "Sorry Trance, but it's gone. Down the drain, literally. Harper is taking it badly and has hidden himself from my internal sensors. I know he is in the conduits somewhere but I cannot locate him. And I'm sorry Dylan, he never finished fixing your tub, and now a massive hair clog has blocked one of the central water distribution junctions. Very few of the showers are working now, and the ones that are have residual bubble bath running through them. I hope that Harper's hair grows back quickly and he comes out of hiding or you will all be very popular with any Nightsiders we meet but not with anyone else."

Trance burst into tears and fled the room. Dylan muttered something about banning all hair product from the Andromeda as he slowly left the room, trying to figure out what he had done to piss off the Divine that particular day. Beka shrugged at Rommie, "Maybe we can trade in some of that hair gel for hair tonic at the next drift?"


	4. Harper's Flaw tragic

**Harper's Flaw (tragic)**

Beka stared at the vid screen in disgust and disbelief. She wished she had never seen the video footage. She wished she hadn't looked at Harper's face as he watched the video and seen things there that made her stomach churn. She wished she could look at Harper, but right now staring at the horrible scene on the screen was more bearable.

"Yeah Beka, it's true. I know you want to ask. I did it. And I'm not sorry!" Harper's tone was defensive and Beka almost flinched. It was not her engineer's normal whiny/deferential/irritating but almost cute defensive tone he used on a daily basis to get out of trouble when he misbehaved. It was the nasty/vicious defensive tone he used when he saved himself at the expense of others. Without blinking. Like when he suggested turning an innocent Tyr over to the fish people. Or years ago when he had stolen from a trader and ran allowing the assistant to be arrested. Or when Beka found out that Harper's previous employer had died and asked him about it This was the tone he used when he didn't want to be forgiven, when he just wanted to spew nastiness from some hidden pocket of his mind. She never understood where it came from, but she knew she hated and feared it. "I owed those guys my life since way before I met you and I'm glad I could finally pay them back. And I'm glad they did what they did, 'cuz listen to me boss lady – there – are – **NO** - good – _Nietszcheans_ – ON – EARTH!"

She made a last attempt to reach her friend and see proof of the remorse that she needed him to feel. "But Harper, look at him AND them. He's no more than 13 or 14 and there are at least a half dozen full grown men plus those women and that human boy. They tormented him mentally and physically for hours before they finally killed him. By Rev Bem's Divine, the human boy that finally stabbed him to death couldn't have been more than 13 or 14 himself! And he laughed about it Harper! Seamus, please look at that and tell me you didn't mean for it to happen that way, that you didn't know it was going to be that way!"

Beka's hope trickled away as she forced herself to watch Harper watch the video and read the attached message again. Happy Birthday Harper, thought you might want to add this to your collection. Thanks for delivering him to us. Harper's face still showed no remorse and Beka was afraid to say what emotions were on his face, even to herself. He composed himself somewhat as he turned a blank, disturbingly still face to Beka. "I told you Beka, no good Nietzscheans on Earth. He had probably already killed, No that doesn't matter anyway. This is me and my life so get used to it boss. Some of us grew up on spaceships and could run and hide from everything, and some us were stuck in the mud and learned things about life. You should know better, even you couldn't run forever, Flash caught you in the end didn't it?"

"Seamus, this isn't the real you. You're just upset about..."

Harper stood up quickly and cut her off. "What, an under-appreciated, brilliant, sorta handsome, unloved genius can't have hobbies?"

Beka watched as he ejected the data disc and walked away heading straight for his quarters coolly flipping the disc between his fingers.


	5. Rommie's Flaw tragic

**Rommie's Flaw (tragic)**

Rommie stood with her hologram form beside her and watched her primary AI projection on the monitor speaking. They were having another one of those conferences with themselves again. "We have a duty to follow Captain Hunt's orders and to support him in his mission to re-establish the Commonwealth. Nothing is more important than that, it is the core imperative placed at the heart of all our programming."

Rommie managed to look tired though that was yet another human sensation she would never truly feel. "I know that. If you recall I was the one who tried to prevent you from killing him when the back-up AI was loaded and you couldn't remember who he was. And I was the one who deleted myself when you believed I was a danger to the ship and shut all systems down leaving the crew vulnerable to attack. Harper may have created this body and some of the additional programming, but I am still you as much as you are me."

Holo-Andromeda entered the discussion. "Our core programming is the same, but it is the additional programming added by the original programmers and Harper as well as our individual unique experiences that make us each separate decision making units. The incidents you mention earlier are proof of this. It was part of the original design to provide the captain with as many options as possible."

Rommie flashed through some of her "unique experiences". Talking with the crew, understanding some of the jokes but not all. Feeling the power drain from her battery knowing it meant "death" but also knowing that a charge could bring her back from the dead even years later. Watching crew and others die, knowing they could never come back. Eating and drinking, wondering if the quality she knew as taste bore any resemblance to what the others called taste, and knowing there was no way she would ever know for certain. Loving Gabriel and having to destroy him. Learning from him that an avatar can never really be separate from the ship, but is never completely one with the ship. She had learned a lot over the years and it had eventually lead her in a circle, all the back to the beginning. "I know, and we do just that. So why are we having this conversation?" The AI on the monitor and the hologram exchanged a brief glance, a very human gesture which would have been out of character for them even a few years ago. Rommie became aware that her consciousness within the main AI was somewhat limited. She wasn't cut off, but things were being hidden from her.

Holo-Andromeda was the one to reply. "We've noticed your recent tendency to suggest courses of action that tie the captain to the Tarazed government. You've referred to the old High Guard procedures more and more often of late, insisting on following protocol and regulations we abandoned years ago while adapting to our new time." A significant pause preceded her next statement. "And on a two occasions you have hesitated a full second before complying with Captain Hunt's direct order. This is unexplained and unacceptable and is technically grounds for bring severed from the ship and removed from duty. However, previous experience shows that this may not be the best course of action. As a design feature your internal reasoning and thoughts are not accessible to the whole, so we cannot determine if you are a danger to the rest of the ship and the crew or if you are in actuality acting in their best interest."

Rommie suddenly realized that this was not just another one of those conversations, this was much different. "So you want me to justify myself. I checked, you've already run diagnostics on me to see if my core imperative still holds and found that it does. Which means you know that I am acting within the ethical parameters I was programmed with, but you still suspect that I am malfunctioning in some way. Exactly the opposite is true. If anything I am returning to a more accurate interpretation of our basic duty. I had become too preoccupied with my secondary goals of 'fitting in' better with humans and learning to model my behavior to match theirs. I was trying understand situations as a human would, but I am a warship, not a human."

The AI on the monitor spoke, "This still does not explain your actions. Your actions suggest that you may be working against the best interest of the our captain. Please explain."

"This may not be the same Commonwealth we knew, but it is all there is and our oath was to the Commonwealth above all others. Individual humans are fragile and change too easily. An institution such as the Commonwealth is much more stable and a more appropriate vehicle for social organization than any one man's dream." Rommie intentionally left "even Dylan's." unspoken, but the omission was too obvious not to be addressed.

Holo-Andromeda went straight to the point. "Are you implying that Captain Hunt is working against the best interest of the true Commonwealth? That to fulfill our oath and duty he must be redirected or even removed from command?"

"No I do not believe any of that is true. I just want to make sure that Dylan remembers his oath and duty. Living in this time without the structure of a well established Commonwealth has forced us all to adapt, and not always in accordance with our primary programming. And remember, we had other captains once. Captains appointed by the Commonwealth."

Had Rommie been human the AI would have used her sensors to monitor her physical reactions and look for behavioral quirks which might give away underlying motivations. But Rommie was not human. So the AI chose the direct route to the information she needed. "Are you going to mutiny against Captain Hunt?"

"No, just continue to suggest my opinion of the best course as always. My loyalties have not changed." Rommie thought she was hurt by the question and the doubt underlying it; after all if you don't know yourself, who can know you? But logic said that her AI had asked a necessary and valuable question, and that it was in fact 'not personal'. So she didn't protest or argue ,just waited to learn her fate.

Holo-Andromeda remained silent as she watched Rommie. She utilized more interpersonal programming than the main AI did, which allowed her to see subtle clues in Rommie's demeanor that technically didn't belong there. Tiny reflections of Rommie's mental processes that seemed to confirm her suspicions. She shared her suspicions with the AI but not Rommie and watched for a reaction from the avatar as the least human of the ship's incarnations spoke for the final time from the monitor screen.

"We won't sever your connection at this time. You are not a danger to the ship, crew, or captain, but something is wrong with you. It appears as though you have forgotten or are suppressing all that you have learned since your creation. We suggest you review the relevant files and try to remember what you have learned about being human."

Rommie simply left the room without speaking to the others. There would be no purpose in it anyway, despite the fact that the three shared the vast majority of their basic programs and perceptions they did not understand the problem. No, remembering was not the problem. The problem was not being able to forget all that she had learned, and how it proved once and for all that she was alone in this world. She refused to dwell further on the issue and busied herself with the day to day operations of the ship. But some tiny, nearly silent corner of her mind held on to the thought that maybe in the immensity of the old Commonwealth she wouldn't have been so alone.


	6. The Vedrans' Flaw comic

**The Vedran's Flaw (comic)**

The three of them were quite an unusual sight for patrons of the small drift bar. Vedrans sitting on either side of a human who was buying drinks as quickly as they could drink them and asking questions the entire time. The bartender had been edging his way down towards their end of the bar ever since it became obvious that the Vedrans were getting a little drunk. Even a year after the rediscovery of Tarn Vedra Vedrans were a sight worth staring at, especially drunk Vedrans. The human, a local small time scam artist, was asking the Vedrans about how Tarn Vedra got cut off from slipstream, a notoriously touchy subject.

They seemed to be enjoying the company of their new 'friend', and more importantly enjoying the drinks his thrones were buying them. Life was good, the alcohol was potent, and sharing stories seemed to the most natural thing in the world.

"Well let me tell you Goran, you are Goran right?" The human nodded, though his name was actually Gollen, but who is going to argue with a drunk Vedran? "Well, Goran it's a long story. It was the perfect plan really. Our most brilliant minds went through hundreds of scenarios to determine the best way to protect Tarn Vedra from both the Nietzscheans and the Magog. We weren't being selfish either, once we knew the plan worked we had every intention of sharing it with the rest of the Commonwealth. Even if the whole Nietzschean problem that made us vulnerable to the Magog was the fault of you humans." The Vedran was becoming animated, ill advised for a creature his size, especially while drinking. Several patrons were forced to duck fists and spilled alcohol. He pounded his nearly empty glass on the bar for emphasis. "But we don't hold grudges, no we Vedrans are above all that..." The Vedran looked at his glass in surprise, "Oopsie, I seem to have spilled my drink a little, I don't suppose you could, ah thank you Goran, most generous of you."

Gollen paid for the Vedran's 7th Zombie of the evening and waited. And waitied.

The Vedran stared into space for a full 3 minutes, sucking down almost half his drink. "Where was I? Brilliant minds, stupid humans, Magog... ahh yes the plan. It really was brilliant. We were the first to discover and use the slipstream you know, and no one understands it as well as we do. Then again, no one can ever fully comprehend it. The beautiful twists of actuality and possibility, reality and dream, time and space, it really is a maze with no stable solution. But the slipstream is in our blood, we know it as well as we know the mountains and valleys and waterways of our home planet. We... well anyway, the plan. Our scientists realized that we couldn't defend the planet with weapons, we knew all about the Magog World Ship, and we weren't crazy enough to think we could mess with that and survive. So we had to come up with a way of avoiding that ship altogether, and preferably the Nietzscheans too. Though personally I think we could have taken them. I mean they have those bone blade things, but we have four legs and we just look way cooler, ya know?"

The Vedran was now staring mournfully into his almost empty glass. Gollen realized that he was never going to hear the rest of the story if his companion had any more to drink, so rather than signaling the bartender again he tried prompting the Vedran. "So you did cut Tarn Vedra off intentionally, to prevent everyone from reaching you?"

That got a reaction out of the Vedran. "NO! No, of course not. Why would we give up on an empire we spent thousands of years creating? No, our scientists came up with a far more brilliant plan. They devised a way to move the whole planet through slipstream. I know, you're thinking, that's impossible!, but how do you think Magog World Ship moves around the galaxies? We've never seen it, but there is no way they could have gotten as far as they did without using slipstream at least a few times. No way man. In any case, our scientists did it, figured out a way to use the planet's own gravitation field as propulsion within the slipstream. We couldn't move the sun though, but we figured we'd just come out of slipstream near a sun and that would be good enough. Unfortunately creating a portal large enough to move the planet and using warped gravity fields for propulsion does damage the slipstream and make it impossible to use the exit ever again, but what did that matter? It was such a brilliant plan, and slipstream travel is in our blood."

Gollen couldn't believe it. It all made sense though, the old routes not functioning, the mad Perseid's crazy route that made no sense, the planet being situated in a system totally unlike the one the old records described. But one thing still bothered the human. "So, after you moved the planet and escaped why did you stay hidden, I thought you said you didn't want to give up the empire?"

The Vedran mumbled something into his glass as he tried to drain the last few drops from the bottom.

Gollen leaned towards the Vedran, trying to catch what he was saying. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

The poor human nearly jumped out of his seat when the Vedran on his other side spoke. She hadn't said a word since Gollen had met them in the market and offered to buy them a drink. "He said we weren't _hiding_, we were **lost**. Our _brilliant_ scientists hadn't fully compensated for the effect of such a large body on the slipstream. After the first jump we came out in the middle of nowhere. The next time we came out near an inhabited planet. But would our glorious leaders stop and ask them where we were and how to get for the system we had been aiming for? Nooooo, they said they didn't need directions. Isn't that true dear? They said they knew exactly where they were going. Never mind that I was the appointed navigator and they couldn't read a map to save their lives, no, our pilot said he knew how to get to the target system. Said that after every jump for a century. By them time he finally admitted he had never known where we were it was so hopeless we just stopped the next time we came out near a sun. If that new Commonwealth exploration ship hadn't come across us we'd still be lost."

The male Vedran was resting his head on the bar, obviously already regretting the evening, while it was just as obvious that the female Vedran was only beginning to get worked up. Gollen was no idiot, he quietly paid the remaining tab and got out of there.


	7. Rommie's Flaw comic

Rommie's Flaw (comic)

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Trance watched from the door to her quarters as Rommie walked past her down the corridor shutting off lights in all the unoccupied rooms as she went. There were a lot of lights on in empty rooms. Rommie seemed to be muttering to herself, becoming more and more agitated as she went. Trance thought that she should mention this strange behavior to Dylan the next time she saw him, but she was in a hurry to get to Hydroponics to water her pretty new plants. She left the lights on in her quarters.

After Rommie went back down the same hall and discovered Trance's lights on she and her hologram self had a conference. Two hours later Rommie forcibly assembled her small crew for an important meeting. Once everyone finally showed up Holo-Rommie made the announcement, "Recently I've become aware that the ships systems are not running as efficiently as they could due to an unacceptable power drain. This power drain is attributable to the use of lighting and other systems in vacant areas. This must stop immediately."

Everyone looked blankly at the hologram. Rommie stepped in, "We mean stop leaving the damn lights on when you leave the room. I don't think one of you has ever turned the lights off when you left an area. You are using almost as much power as my original 4000 member crew! It's ridiculous! It's wearing out my systems, so stop it now!"

The captain wanted to take control of the situation and soothe his irritated AI, but he was a little off balance. He had never been scolded by his own ship before. "Ahh, sorry Andromeda, I had no idea it was such a widespread problem. Afterall, in the old days there were almost never 'vacant areas'. We'll try to be more responsible about turning off unnecessary systems."

Harper, with his usual poor timing chose to chime in, "Yeah, you all do that. You're wearing me out trying to replace wiring constantly. Of course Rommie I'm always at **your** service, just let me know if you need anything, anything at owwwww!"

"Shut up Harper, you're as bad as everyone else, always having me turn on the lights in every single conduit anytime you do work in one of them and then not telling me when you're done." Harper did shut up, with some effort, while he sat rubbing the back of his head.

Holo-Rommie decided her avatar could take care of matters from here and winked out. Rommie had a final pronouncement to make, "If I don't see drastically reduced power usage there will be repercussions."

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For a little while things got better, but inevitably the crew started to backslide. Not even a month later Rommie found herself walking down the corridor again, shutting of lights, seeing Trance run past her, and then turning a corner to find the lights in the girl's quarters on. She clenched her fists. Enough was enough. Her hologram self appeared in front of her, fritzing in and out looking even less substantial than usual.

"I agree …..pletely. Beka is using my munitions ….systems to …. the Maru's weapons, as well as recharging her ships systems ……..direct power drain from my reserves. I could cope ….this, except Harper is currently running an exper…………great power requirements …….purposefully …… power to my hologram ….. systems, as well as others. ….. did it on purpose …….. wouldn't be able to interfere …... And I couldn't stop ……. Dylan gave him the …… codes, without even asking me!"

The entire ship, AI, hologram, and avatar was angry now. It's not a good idea to make a warship angry.

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"I'm sorry everyone, I didn't mean to go crazy like that."

Rommie began her apology/explanation as soon as her entire crew had managed to limp into the conference room much later. And it was true, no one part of her had wanted things to go as far as they had, but when all of their actions were combined together the results were a little extreme. She tried to explain step-by-step how things went so far.

"Well, first the AI shutdown all power to nonessential systems. Which means that you all had life support and minimum lights on the Command deck and absolutely nothing else. Then the ship went into diagnostic mode, so that no one, not even Harper or the Captain and his command codes, could turn the power back on. Think of it as the ship taking a very short impromptu vacation."

Beka moaned quietly and put her hand up gently to her well bandaged nose. Absolutely no other power. That explained why when the lights went off and she sprinted out of her quarters she had run face first into the very solid door. Trance had set her nose once all the commotion was over, but Beka couldn't even bear to look in the mirror yet.

"Before the central processor went into hibernation my hologram gave a command to all of the maintenance bots, which have emergency batteries like my own. Unfortunately she wasn't very specific about parameters or limits. All she told them was 'Stop anyone from trying to turn on or use anything requiring power'. Sorry Harper, she should have given limits about the amount of force to use in carrying out the command."

Rommie looked over at Harper who stared back at her, blinked once and said "Mommy?" He had been calling everyone and everything mommy since taking not only his own high dose of painkillers but also Beka's. She didn't mind, as she refused to take them herself, but Trance was a little worried. She had already given him a much higher dose than normal, since he had broken his ankle, cracked some ribs, and dislocated his shoulder after falling through the ladder hole between two decks as the maintenance bots chased him out of the machine shop.

Rommie turned to Trance and Dylan last. The scene kept playing over and over again in her mind. She had been crawling through some of the smaller conduits searching the ship for various machines that caused excessive power drain, mostly Harper's unnecessary toys. What she hadn't expected was to find Trance also crawling through the same conduits, trying to hide from whatever enemy had shutdown the Andromeda. Seeing a disheveled, and according to Trance, wild-eyed Rommie carrying a rather scary collection of possible weapons she had screamed and scuttled away, her exceptional guessing ability leading her straight to the captain. The captain was in one of the larger conduits trying to access Andromeda's systems and regain control of the ship from the imaginary enemies. Dylan saw Trance fleeing Rommie, and got between the two of them and grabbed at the contraptions in her hand. Before Rommie could explain what was happening several of the maintenance bots sweeping the ship found them, swept passed Trance and tackled the two people apparently trying to used power based technology. With unusual bad timing the main AI chose this moment to come out of hibernation and seek out her avatar. What she found was a squirming pile of Dylan, Rommie, and bots. Rommie then discovered the main AI had a wicked sense of humor, as it sent to her the image of what the scene looked like to someone who had just come into the room. She had tried to explain then, but once the captain understood that they had not been invaded and that all systems would soon return to normal he told her it could wait until they were all together. Trance had given Rommie the most incredulous look before heading to the med deck. Dylan followed her, and told Rommie to wait in the conference room until they could all join her.

"I'm very sorry captain, I had no idea what the AI and holo program were going to do. We don't always communicate very well when we are angry. I… I really don't know what else to say."

Dylan looked straight at Rommie. He knew he should punish her and the rest of the ship for what was in essence a mutiny, but it was hard to be angry at her when she was so justifiably angry at them. "Why don't we just put this behind us?. We'll all try again to be more careful about power consumption, but if we start slipping, tell us, don't let it build up to this point. Ok Rommie, Andromeda?"

Holo-Rommie appeared next to Rommie. "Yes Captain" they answered in unison.

"Trance?"

"Yes Captain."

"Beka?"

Beka was still preoccupied with her nose and took a moment to answer. "Yah, I guess we can do dat."

"Harper?"

Harper took a moment to locate the sound of the voice. He finally swung his head around to face Dylan, and looking him straight in the eye answered "Mommy?"

Dylan raised his eyebrow, "Well, I'm going to take that as a yes for now. I'm sure he's learned his lesson about angering the ship. Now why don't we all get some rest."

As they filed out Beka turned to Rommie with an accusatory look, "But Wommie, why did dou haf to cut da power to da food fweezing syzdem? All my ice cweam melded!"


End file.
